Every Roman Reigns WWE Universal Title Defence Ranked In Order Of Greatness
17. Vs LA Knight (Crown Jewel 2023)
An over-delivery in some respects, WWE making hay whilst the summer sun of 2023 shone on LA Knight was the right choice for a Saudi Arabia supershow main event.
Nobody really bought Knight's chances, but it spoke to how locked in Roman had become as the 'Tribal Chief' that he could give him the odd hope spot before becoming undone by The Bloodline's cheating yet again. Knight's supposed lack of in-ring ability theoretically could have undone him here, but appearing to out-work the industry's biggest star in defeat was as useful - if not more so - for his loudmouth gimmick going forward than if he'd eeked out a win.
There was a trick to preserving Knight's aura, not least with a long way to go before he could realistically challenge for the title again. Whilst this subsequently wasn't as energised as some of Roman's more out-of-the-blue title matches, it was a giving display by the Champion nonetheless.